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Correcting class II malocclusion has always challenged an orthodontist owing to the complex and multifactorial aetiology. Age of patient and selection of the appliance plays an important role in the outcome of the treatment. Growth modification using functional appliances achieves stable results in class II patients. An orthodontist has wide variety of fixed and removable appliances for addressing a class II malocclusion. In this review article an attempt has been made to compile various available fixed functional appliances. 

The present report highlights our results on synthesis of NaYF4:Yb,Er@SiO2@Ag core–shell nanoparticles (CSNPs) for plasmon-enhanced upconversion luminescence (UCL). Hydrophilic surface UCL nanoparticles (UCLNPs) as cores were obtained by precipitation of Rare Earth Elements (REE) chlorides from water-alcohol solutions. The formation of a hydrophobic surface of α-NaYF4:Yb,Er NPs was achieved by thermolysis method at 280 °C and β-NaYF4:Yb,Er by precipitation method in nonpolar medium at 320 °C. Silica shell was formed by the modified Stöber method on the surfaces of UCLNPs with different polarity and phase composition. A mixture of hexane-cyclohexane-isopropyl alcohol was used as a medium for the formation of mononuclear CSNPs on hydrophobic surfaces of cores with different thicknesses of the silica shell: 5 nm and 14 nm. Formation of a predetermined thickness of silica shell was carried out by introducing a precise quantity of TEOS taking into account the size of core NPs with molar ratio TEOS: H2O equal to 1:6. The morphology and phase composition of cores and CSNPs were examined by transmission electron microscopy and selected area electron diffraction, respectively. The insertion of Ag NPs into the structure of NaYF4:Yb,Er@SiO2 was carried out in parallel at the stage of shell formation, which made this synthesis a one-step process. The control of the size of Ag NPs was implemented through the use of a colloidal solution of NPs of the cluster structure by changing the polarity of the medium. The highest intensity enhancement of 85-fold with 5 nm and 29-fold with 14 nm shell thickness was recorded, respectively. For the first time, tests on bioimaging of neutrophil cells by those CSNPs are demonstrated.

Objective: To describe pathological fi ndings on pre-treatment dental panoramic tomograms of edentulous jaws taken before complete denture treatment. Design: Descriptive cross-sectional study. Setting: Prosthetic division, Department of Conservative and Prosthetic Dentistry. School of Dental Sciences, University of Nairobi. Results: Data was obtained from clinical records and OPGs of 163 edentulous patients seen at the prosthetic clinic between 2010 and 2016 for complete denture therapy. From history and examination alone, clinicians reported significant findings on 50.3% of records, while 43.6% had no such findings. Ten (10) (6.1%) records were unclear. Examination of OPGs revealed 79.1% of the films had no pathological findings while in 20.9% had. Most of the findings (70.0%) were retained roots, 6% were radio-lucencies, 12% were other radio-opacities, 9% were impacted teeth while 3% had both retained root and radio-opacity. Most pathologies (64%) were located in the posterior region of jaws while the other findings were evenly distributed in the anterior and posterior regions of the jaws. There was no predilection of pathological findings to any other factor other than gender. In 83.4% records, queries on clinical notes coincided with significant findings on OPGs; while 16.6% were either unclear or did not coincide. Most (71%) OPG findings led to modification of treatment plan. Conclusion: Pathological findings are common on pre-treatment OPGs. It may be good practice to take an OPG for edentulous patients prior to complete denture therapy where such services are available, to prevent complications from intra-bony pathologies. However, Most of the findings are either detectable by clinical exam or may not be of major consequence to the health of patients. Complete denture may be done without OPGs for new and old denture wearers where the service is not available.

Background: Accessibility to healthcare is a major component of primary health care campaign for maintaining population health. Owing to this, the government of Ghana has instituted the free maternal care and focused antenatal care policies into the maternal health care policies to woefully control maternal mortality, morbidity and to ensure improved access, quality and continuous ANC use among pregnant women. Despite these interventions, pregnant women in the Kwabre East Municipality do not fully use ANC services as recommended by the World Health Organization. Methods: Using an in-depth interview and two focus groups conducted with women of reproductive age (15-49) in the Kwabre East Municipality. The study investigated women’s opinions, perceptions and experiences on their ANC visits. Results: The study revealed that physical accessibility and the social context of pregnant women continue to influence their ANC use even after the introduction of the free maternal care and focused antenatal care policies. Conclusion: The study suggests that in order to fully utilize ANC visits as recommended by the WHO in the Kwabre East Municipality, the Municipal Health Directorate should liaise with collaborating stakeholders if not eliminating to limit the influence of restrictive factors to women’s quest of using ANC. It is further recommended that management do away with hindrances that delay women who seek for ANC services in health facilities and adopt strategies and procedures that aim at increasing ANC uptake.

Background: Corneal injuries are significant contributors to blindness. Cornea being the most anterior structure of eye is exposed to various hazards like airborne debris and blunt trauma. By understanding different types of injuries to which cornea is exposed, the practitioner maybe more capable in managing injuries to minimise structural and visual sequelae. Objectives: To study various patterns of corneal injuries and its visual outcome among patients of ocular trauma in a tertiary care hospital. Methods: Study of 100 cases of corneal injuries wherein patients were treated according to injury type and followed up for 4 months. Results: Majority of patients belonged to working population between age groups 21-65 years. Most patients suffered from corneal abrasions while the least common were perforating and lacerating injuries. Alkali injuries were more common than acid injuries. Most patient presented within 24 hours and had only epithelial defects. Therefore, the number of patients receiving conservative management was higher than those receiving surgical intervention. Conclusion: Most common causes of blindness and low vision in our study was full thickness corneal laceration and corneal abrasions, foreign body injuries affecting the pupillary area and involving anterior or mid stroma causing nebular or macular grade opacities hampering vision.

Retracing the evolution of Mineralocorticoid Receptors (MR) obliges us to take an instructive as well as fascinating leap back in time. This journey teaches us that the relationship between MRs and what we consider their natural ligand, aldosterone, has not always been an exclusive one. MRs operated for a very long time in the oceans and, in any case, in an aquatic environment, stimulated by ligands other than aldosterone, and exercising functions that we still do not know well but which were certainly different from those they currently perform in terrestrial vertebrates, where they maintain normal sodium and body fluids. The history of MRs was initially intertwined with that of female sexual hormones, in particular with progesterone, which was one of the first agonists for MRs, before becoming, with the transition to the terrestrial environment, an important antagonist. This initial intertwining could be the cause of the sexual dimorphism that can be glimpsed when these receptors are overstimulated, as emerges from many experimental studies and some clinical data and/or when antagonistic drugs for these receptors are studied. This must be taken into account in the planning of clinical studies, especially randomized controlled trials, in which the presence of the two sexes must always be well balanced and in the interpretation of the results which must always be performed being well aware of the gender of participants. This does not always happen, however.

The emergence and establishment of anthropological genetics as an interdisciplinary science is primarily, associated with the development of new genomic technologies. Precision genetic testing on the one hand, and the rapidly increasing number of genetic investigations on the other, have created a set of bioethical dilemmas for genetic and epidemiology research. Such research deals with persons who have the right to the protection of their personal information and confidentiality, and also concerns collective (village, region, ethnic group, state) consciousness, ethnic identity, and traditional culture, i.e., so called “ethnic pride”. In this regard, taking into consideration the results of ongoing field research, we make some recommendations for better management of relationships with individuals and communities and the preparation of questionnaires and informed consent forms that will facilitate similar research projects, especially in such an ethnically, linguistically and culturally diverse region such as the Caucasus.

This cross-sectional study was conducted to screen the presence of antibiotic residue in poultry. A total of 60 samples (30 Muscle and 30 Liver) were taken from local meat shops from different parts of Kathmandu valley. Disc assay method was used. Escherichia coli (ATCC 25922) and Staphylococcus aureusi (ATCC 25923) were used as test organisms. The results revealed 8 positive samples (which is 13%). Among 30 Liver samples, 3 showed positive result, while only 2 muscle sample indicated positive result. Muscle has the highest percentage of positive results than liver. For S. aureus showed greater percentage of positive results than that of E. coli. The presence of antibiotic residue and its many pathological effects to public health demands the strict rules and regulations as well as surveillance from the concerned authorities.

Mesenteric cysts are rare benign intra-abdominal tumors with an incidence of 1 case per 250,000 hospital admission. This lesion occurs most frequently in women in the reproductive period.The etiology of such cysts remains unknown but several theories regarding their development exist. Most of these lesions present with vague abdominal pain and nausea. Less commonly they will present with bowel obstruction due to external compression. The diagnosis of these tumors is by abdominal ultrasound or computed tomography. We report a case of Mesenteric cyst in 51-year-old female patient.

Background: Combination of extracts from multiple plants are typically used in ethnomedicine to putatively offer more potent chemotherapeutic and chemopreventive effects than that of individual extracts from single plants. Aqueous extracts from two multipurpose plants Strophanthus hispidus (roots) and Aframomum meleguta (seeds) are topically co-administered in the nasal cavities for the ethnomedicinal management of chronic sinusitis. Aim: This study assessed the potential phytochemical synergy between constituent extracts of Strophanthus hispidus (roots) and Aframomum meleguta (seeds) in its anti-inflammation, anti-microbial and anti-oxidant effects. Methods and Materials: Broth dilution assay assessed anti-microbial activities. DPPH radical scavenging assay examined the scope of anti-oxidant activities and inhibition of carrageenan-induced 7-day old chick feet oedema revealed anti-inflammatory activities. Results: Anti-microbial activities of individual plant extracts in broth dilution assay showed comparable potency to that of the co-extract mixture. Similarly, individual extracts showed levels of DPPH radical scavenging activities in anti-oxidant assay that was comparable to those found for the co-extract mixture. In contrast to these two effects, inhibition of carrageenan-induced 7-day old chick feet oedema revealed an anti-inflammatory activity evoked by co-extract mixtures that was greater than the sum of the individual potencies of the two extracts. Conclusion: The potential phytochemical synergy of the two plants extracts in its anti-inflammatory response largely validates ethnomedicinal practice and generally confirms growing literature reports that ascribe the net pharmacological activities of herbal extracts to the combined multi-activities of unique phytochemical entities at multiple target sites.